Rail fastener



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL rnsrnnnn. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented kflg, 21

Applicationfiled' January 7, 1922. Serial No. 527,645.

and gtate of South Carolina, has invented new and useful Improvements in Rail, Fas teners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and elficient means for securing a rail to the ties under such conditions as to prevent accidental displacement in service and insure a firm seating of the rail on the tie regardless of any tendency which the rail may have to spring; and furthermore to provide a fastener whereby the rail foot may be forcibly brought into bearing contact with the seat provided for its reception even though it may have a slight upward spring at the time of laying'the same; and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a tie showing, in section, a rail seated thereon and secured in place by means of a fastener embodying the invention. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the clamp detached.

The tie 10 in connection with which the improved fastener is shown is of the channeled type adapted for construction of metal or cement, with the cavity thereof bridged in the plane of the rail 11, and flush with the upper edges of the side walls of the tie to form a rail seat 12 which at one edge,- preferably the outer edgeis provided with an under cut rail foot clip 13 which if the seat is formed of metal maybe integral therewith and is preferably beveled for contact with the upper surface of the rail foot so as to have a camming action to force the foot downwardly into contact with the seat when the rail is moved transversely toward the clip. The seat is also provided preferably at the same edge as the clip with a depending car 14;.

Cooperating with the seat is a clamp 15 having an upper jaw 16 arranged above the plane of the seat and extended to form a clip 17 which is also under out and provided with a beveled under surface corresponding with that of the clip 13 for engagement with the upper surface of the rail foot in opposite relation to the clip 13 and tendingas the clamp is moved inwardly or toward the rail to exert a downward camming action upon the rail foot in cooperation with the corre-. sponding action of the foot 13 to force the rail foot downward into firm bearing contact with the seat. The lower jaw 18 of the clamp is extended to form a bolt 19 of which the threaded portion projects through an opening 20 in the depending ear 14: and is engaged by a nut 21 by the tightening of which the clamp may be advanced toward the stationary clip 13 to firmly engage and seat the rail. Furthermore the jaws of the clamp are preferably slotted longitudinally as indicated at 22 for engagement by a vertical bolt 23 extending through the seat and engaged by a nut 24 to serve as a reinforcement for the upper jaw and an additional means of maintaining an effective clamping action on the rail foot.

Notwithstanding the efficiency of the engagement of the rail by means of the fastening means thus provided, the release of the rail to permit of replacement or repair may be effected merely by removing the nuts which respectively engage the bolt extension of the clamp and the vertical tie bolt extending through the jaws of the clamp, and the rail may be loosened to permit of longi tudinal adjustment merely by backing the nut which engages the bolt extension without displacing the tie bolt and therefore withoutremoving the clamp from the seat.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. A hollow tie having a bridge piece forming a rail seat and provided at one side with a clip for overhanging engagement with one edge of a rail foot, and a clamp arranged in straddling relation with the opposite edge of the bridge piece with its upper jaw extended to form a clip for over-' hanging engagement with the opposlte edge of said rail foot and with its lower jaw extended to form a bolt extending through a depending ear of the bridge piece and engaged by an adjusting nut, a vertical t1e bolt being arranged to connect the jaws of the clamp.

2. A hollow tie having a bridge piece forming a rail seat and provided at one s de with a clip for overhanging engagement with one edge of a rail foot, and a clamp arranged in straddling relation with the opposite edge of the bridge piece with its upper jaw extended to form a clip for overhanging enga ement with the opposite edge of said rail foot and with its lower jaw extended to form a bolt extending through a depending ear of the bridge piece and engaged by an adjusting nut, a vertical tie bolt being arranged to connect the jaws of the clamp and extending through said bridge piece.

3. A hollow tie having a bridge piece forming a rail seat and provided at one side with a clip for overhanging engagement with one edge of a rail foot, and a clamp arranged in straddling relation with the opposite edge of the bridge piece with its upper jaw extended to form a clip for overhanging engagement with the opposite edge of said rail foot and with its'lower j a-w extended to form a bolt extending through a depending ear of the bridge piece and engaged by an adjusting nut, a vertical tie bolt being arnature.

EDWARD H.'PHILLIPS. 

